Flash lamp



F. W. WAKEFIELD.

FLASH LAMP.

APPLlcATioN FILED MAH.29,1920.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

@www fgclelfckwwakefielcl.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W'. WAKEFIELD, OF `'V'EBIVJI'.llION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE F.W. WAKE- FIELD BRASS CO., OF VERMILION, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FLASH LAMP.

Specication of Letters' Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Dttpplieation led. March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,788.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that ll, FREDERICK W. WAKE- rrnnn,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vermilion, county ofErie, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFlash Lamps, of which the following is a specification, the principleoft the invention being herein explained and the best mode-in which lhave contemplated applying that principle, so as to' distinguish itfroml other inventions.

The present invention relates to flash lights of the type in general usefor household and vother purposes where a light is desired for a shortlength of time. In the present device a light ofthis character iscombined with cert-ain other advantageous features which make the lightparticularly suitable for use with and around automobiles, motorboatsand the like where a warning signal or colored light is at times verydesirable. Furthermore, provision is made so that the battery can not beshort circuited by metallic contact from the outside so that the lampmay be carried in a too-l box or in a pocket with tools. To theaccomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then,consists of the means hereinaft-er fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple oit the invention may be used.

ln said annexed drawing Fig 1 is a Vertical longitudinal section throughthe lamp; Fig. 2 is a broken similar section showing the parts in thesecond operating position; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig.1; and Fig. 4 is a section of a detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

lin the lamp shown there is provided the usual casing 1 made ot fibre orother insulating material in which is mounted the battery 2 here shownas a two cell battery having a top central contact 3 and a bottomcontact 4. At the bottom-the casing is provided `with a threadedsleeve 5riveted or otherwise secured to the casing, and a thread cap 6 engageswith such sleeve to close the casing, a spring 7 being inserted betweenthe interior surtace of thel cap and the bottom of" the battery. This'spring/also makes electrical con- Along the interior of the casing andin l electrical Contact with the sleeve 5, is mounted a contact strip 12which, as shown, is secured to the sleeve 5 b al rivet 13, and at itstop to a switch-carrylng plate 14 which is secured to the casing wall.This plate 14 covers a. suitable slot 15 in the casing wall and islikewise slotted as' at 16 to allow movement ofthe switch handle or knob17.

The plate 8 in the casing has a central aperture 20 through which acontact bolt 21 is mounted, the bolts being insulated from the plate bya disk 22 and being held in place by means of anut 23 which bea-rsagainst the disk. The extending end 24 of the bolt contacts with theupper central cortact 3 of the battery as shown. Surrounding the bolt isa metallic sleeve or socketmember 25 which is hollowed out and whichfits snugly in the aperture in the plate 8. This socket is provided withan inwardly extending annular shoulder 26 on which is mounted an'apertured insulating disk 27 through which the bolt 21 passes and whichcenters the bolt and prevents it from coming in contact with the socket.The socket is interiorly threaded above the shoulder 26 to receive thelamp bulb 30, the bottom contact 31 of which is in engagement with thehead 33 of the central bolt. The exterior ofthe socket is of greaterdiameter at the top than at the bottom, an inclined shoulder 34 beingformed as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

At the top of the casing is mounted a cylindrical shell 35 which isriveted or grommeted to the casing, and this shell has a threaded upperedge 36 which is Ifitted by a threaded cap 37 having an inturned flange38 which is adapted to hold the glass closure 39 in place. Within theshell is mounted a reflector 40 which, as shown, is provided with acentral aperture 4 1 through which the light socket extends.

'Through the slot 15 in the casing wall is'mounted the switch knob orhandle. This handle consists of a screw 42 which extends outwardlythrough an aperture 43 in a liange 44 of. an inwardly extending arm 45,there being a nut formin the knob l17 mounted exteriorly of the casingin threaded engage-v ment with the screw 42. A set screw 46 is alsomounted through the nut so as to contact the end of screw 42 to maintainthe nut securely in position thereon. As shown,

the plate 8 is provided with a raised portion or hump 47 which isadapted to fit the curved under surface-of the nut so as to tend tomaintain the nut in position on the hump, this being the neutralposition of the knob.

The arm 45 is provided at its inner end with a metal ring which isadapted to carry a sleeve or cylinder 49 of colored transparent materialsuch as glass or the like. 'lhis sleeve encircles the socket and bulband is movable through the aperture in the relector. The switch handleis, of course, in electrical connection with the bottom contact of thebatte through the strip 12 and the plate 14 so t at the arm and ring areelectrically connected to one battery contact. In the downward positionof the knob shown in Fig. 1 the arm and ring closes the electricalcircuit through the plate 8 and the socket to the outside threads of thebulb, the bottom contact of the bulb being always in contact with theother side of the latter through the bolt 21. When in neutral positionthe ring is spaced away from both the plate 8 and the socket 25, butwhen the Larm is raised to the position shown in Fig.. 2'

the ring contacts the socket at the point where the socket increases indiameter again closlng the circuit.

When contact is made by moving they handle down, that is into theposition shown in Fig. 1, the colored sleeve is retracted and the flashlight gives the usual white light, but when the knob is raised thesleeve is moved upwardly encircling the bulb so that the color of theray reaching the reflector is changed, thus giving a colored light.Preferably the sleeve will be made of red or other colored glass so thata warning signal may be given if desired.

The/present mechanism presents the added advantage of having a lashlight which can not be shortcircuited from the outside. reiector and topcap is at all times insulated from the bulb and thus it is only possibleto complete the circuit by moving the sleeve. The outside metallicelements of the lamp are all normally in circuit with one batterypoleiand thus the mere bridging of the metallic parts does not completethe circuit and the battery can not accidentally be discharged.

Another feature is having theswitch member connected to the sleeve 4sothat the con- The tact is made either in raised or lowered p osition, noseparate setting of the colored sleeve being necessary. The sleevealwa sextends upwardly 1nto the opening in t e reflector, thus electuallyinsulating the reector from the socket or bulb at all times.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and A distinctly claim as myinvention 1. In a flash lamp, the combinationof a' battery casing, aswitch knob in an electrical connection with one battery pole andmovably mounted on 4said casing, a socket mounted in said casing andadapted to receive a lamp bulb, a ycontact member mountnected to onebattery pole, a plate mounted in said casing, a lamp bulb receivingsocket mounted on said late and electrically connected'thereto, saidsocket having a central aperture, a contact screw mounted centrallythrough said socket and said plate and in sulated therefrom, said screwmaking elec trical contact with the other pole of the battery and withone terminal of the lam bulb, a contact arm connected to said kno andextending inwardly and adapted to oontact said plate in one position ofsaid knob and to contact said socket in another position to close theelectrical circuit through said bulb in either of two positions of saidknob.

3. In a Hash lamp, the'combination of an insulating casing having a slottherein, a switch knob mounted exteriorly and movable in such slot, saidknob being electrically connected to one battery pole, a plate mountedin said casing, a lamp bulb receiving socket mounted on said plate andelectrically connected thereto, said socket having a central apertureand having its upper portion of larger diameter than its lower portion,a

vcontact screw mounted cenitrally through the battery and avith oneterminal of the lamp bulb, a contact arm connected to said knob andmovable-therewith, said arm being adapted in its normal position to bespaced from said socket but adapted to contact said socket in onepositionof said knob and said plate in another position of `said knob toclose the electrical circuit through the bulb.

4. In a flash lamp, the combination of an insulating casing adapted toreceive a battery, said casing having a slot therein, a switch knobmounted in such casing and adapted to move in such slot, said knob beingin electrical contact with one battery pole, a plate mounted in saidcasing adjacent said slot, said plate having a centrally locatedaperture, a hollowT lamp bulb receiving socket mounted on said plate andelectrically connected thereto, a contact screw mounted through suchapertures in said socket and plate and insulated from both, said screwbeing normally in contact with the other pole of said battery and oneterminal of the lamp bulb, and an arm connected to said knob andextending interi- 19 orly of said casing and adapted to be normallyspaced from said socket and said plate, but being adapted to be movedinto contact either with said plate or said socket toclose theelectrical clrcuit through said llamp bulb.

5. In a flash lamp,the combination of a battery casing, a rellectormounted at one end of said casing, said reflector having a centralaperture, a lamp bulb receiving socket t0 surround said bulb,a switchknob movyably mounted on said casing, said sleeve being operativelyconnected to said switch knob and movable therewith, said knob beingadapted to close the electrical circuit through said bulb in both theextended and retracted positions of said sleeve.

FREDERICK W. WAKEFIELD.

Signed by me this 25th day of March, A'

